Farm News
The sun is shining, and the opportunistic flies are buzzing about, taking advantage of the pockets of warm air inside the barns. The farm is a flutter of activity: we’re digging trenches to install water lines; we’re scooping manure and waste hay into compost piles and we’re moving goats into freshly bedded barns. The second round of breeding has begun, with relief breeders coming in from the “bull pen.” Today’s flurry belies the inevitable slow down as the cold winds blow in next week and the sienna leaves drop to the ground.
PLEASE Support your artisan and farmstead cheese makers #chooseitorloseit The American Artisan cheese community is NOT out of the woods, as COVID-related traumas continue to impact restaurants and food retailers alike.
GIRL AND THE GOATS TO VICTORY CHEESE BOX-LAST WEEK FOR PURCHASE
Our Victory Cheese Box collaboration with grass-fed, raw cows’ milk cheeses from Jacobs & Brichford, bloomy rind cheeses from Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery and accompaniments by Chef Stephanie Izard and her “Girl & the Goat-ceries” team is about to go away. This DELUXE box features two cheeses from each farmstead creamery, house-made crackers, several kinds of pickles, jam and mixed nuts. It is the ONLY box that features accompaniments made by a Celebrity Chef. You can get your box through our online store. You can either pick up your box at the farm on Saturdays OR Sundays, 1-4 pm OR you can have it shipped. We just have a few left!
NOTE: We are working on a special Victory Cheese Box for the Thanksgiving—stay tuned!
Urbana’s Market at the Square-Last Saturday is TOMORROW!
The outdoor Urbana market ends on Saturday October 31st. Have no fear, local food patrons: The Land Connection has graciously offered to host a farmers’ only market inside Lincoln Square Mall . Starting November 7th and running every Saturday until December 19th, we’ll be selling our products (safely with masks and social distancing enforced) from 8-11 am. Details are still being fleshed out, so stay tuned. For tomorrow, it will be sunny but chilly, so bundle up and support your farmers!
Here’s the cheese line up for this weekend:
Fresh Chevre $8/each
--plain
--herbs de Provence
--cracked peppercorn
We are transitioning from goat milk only to mix-milk bloomies. Grab ‘em while they last!
Little Bloom on the Prairie: our goat milk camembert style round; aging nicely with a slight buttered-mushroom flavor $11/each (VERY LIMITED)
Angel Food: our “crottin” style bloomy-petite but loaded with delicious goat tang! Firm enough to cut into wedges$9/each, End of outdoor market special! Buy two, get 2nd one at 50% off!
Black Goat-ash-rind bloomy that has a firm tangy paste when young and gets progressively earthy and funky (and gooey) as it ages. $10 each-getting gooey, so we’re running our ripe black goat special again: buy two, get the 2nd one at 50% off!
Fleur du la Prairie: Our delicate bloomy with dried herbs and edible flowers—this batch is aging nicely with lovely herbal notes! $11
Blushing Goat-washed rind goat milk cheese, washed with bourbon-peach kombucha beer; this batch is aging beautifully with slightly gooey edges, and it’s loaded with great umami flavor $8/triangle, $15 for squares
Goat Milk Feta—aged in whey brine, tangy with a creamy-crumbly texture-PERFECT for fall salads or crumble over roasted beets or a hot bowl of stew! $7/each
Pelota Roja—raw milk “Manchego style” hard cheese with a guajillo chile-olive oil rub on the rind $7/wedge-consider shaving this cheese over grilled zucchini or eggplant! Shave it on a wilted salad of fall greens in place of parmesan cheese; grate it over roasted beets or cauliflower. Try using in a local corn-meal polenta!
We’ll be selling some special treats at the farmers’ market and in the farm store for HALLOWEEN:
--goat cheese truffles made with our cracked pepper chevre and dark chocolate from Ethereal Chocolates, Woodstock IL (these are seriously habit forming)
--pecan brittle made with pecans from Voss Orchard
-spiced and cinnamon sugar pecans from Voss Orchard
Our cheeses and gift boxes make the perfect gifts for the holidays
It’s not too late to start thinking about holiday gifts. We are working on several curated collections of cheese, charcuterie and accompaniments for holiday gift giving. We’re also stocking up on PFFC merch: t-shirts, sweatshirts, tea towels, aprons and goat milk soap. Not only can you order for shipping or farm pick up, but we can also accommodate larger business orders. If you would like to discuss a gift box for your favorite customers or clients, please email us at prairiefruits@gmail.com We offer several price options too!
If you’re not able to buy our cheeses in person at the farmers’ market or during our farm open hours, you can always order online for on-farm pick up or shipping. If you order for pick up, you can pick up from 1-4 pm either Saturday or Sunday.
Check out some featured items in the online farm store (and in the farm shop “The Real Stand”):
** NOW Available for online ordering: our Pelota Roja (raw milk Manchego style) and Blushing Goat (wash rind) by themselves or with some accompaniments.
**”Wash Your Hands! In Style”—new gift item (or just buy it for yourself!) featuring goat milk soaps made exclusively for us by the Wright Soapery. We’re offering a large bar of goat milk soap (tea tree oil, fresh mint or chamomile-oatmeal) with a “Three Chippys” tea towel for $15.
**Our NEW Chippy the Chef apron is HERE! This gorgeous all-cotton apron features Chippy the Goat (our logo and mascot) with her chef hat and mixing bowl. Fully adjustable straps, big deep pockets and super stylish! $20 each.
** Local fruit leathers-made by Funks Grove Heritage Fruits & Grains, we offer three flavors: petite plum from the Jarrell Family orchard (Forest Grove Oregon), black currant (Midwest Agroforestry Solutions) and apple pie. $4 each or 3 for $12.
Gelato pints are available for farm pick up ONLY- flavors this weekend include: NEW Seasonal Flavors: Pumpkin Spice and Maple Chevre (and Maple Chevre with Spiced Pecans) AND Local Grape-Champagne Sorbetto, PLUS Vanilla, Chocolate, Espresso, Salted Caramel Swirl, Pure Pistachio, Lemon Verbena, Fresh Mint, Anise Hyssop, and Nectarine Sorbetto.
We ship on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week, 1-2-day ground ($20 shipping/handling) for most of the Midwest and 2nd-Day Air for other areas of the country ($35/shipping & handling). There are also lots of retail establishments throughout central IL and the Chicagoland area that carry our cheeses. If you don’t find our cheeses in your favorite store, ask them to contact us, so we can our cheeses to you!
Farm Open Hours and Offerings
Our “Goaty Halloween” Farm Fall Fest is happening TOMORROW Saturday October 31st from 1-4 pm! Farm tours by hayride, decorate your own pumpkin, goats dressed up for Halloween, healthy treats for the kids and adults alike (come in costumes please!), Cider-Gelato Floats, Warm Espresso drinks by “Redhead on Main” (our very own Elli Burris, part-time goat milker), Cheese boards with Wine or Beer and much more! No admission fee, but suggested donations if you would like to have your pictures taken with our Halloween Goats!
The farm will continue to be open through late December BOTH Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm each day.
During our weekend open hours from 1-4 pm, you can peruse our farm store, enjoy a cup of gelato, or order a cheese board with wine/beer/other beverages to enjoy outside if the weather permits. You can visit with the goats and just enjoy the rural outdoors. All visitors must wear masks and practice social distancing while visiting the farm. We feature ALL OF OUR CHEESES as well as some from fellow farmstead creameries, an assortment of accompaniments (jams, pickles, honey, nuts, crackers, baguette bread), as well as lots of great PFFC “merch” for sale during open hours.